See How Jessie Ware Gets Glam for a Big Show
1/10Perhaps it’s unsurprising that two hours before sound check at last night’s New York City concert, British singer-songwriter Jessie Ware was just as cool as her soulful vocals sound. Perched on the 53rd floor of her Times Square hotel, she was all smiles and laughs with her hair and makeup team, eager to head to the venue and continue the New York leg of her international tour.
As always with a Jessie Ware performance, there was a strong focus on beauty. Jessie’s a newly-minted tastemaker of the cosmetics brand CK One, which means the pressure was on backstage. "Beauty, for me, has always been a way of expression and getting into the character," the singer told us. "Like, putting on an eye or a lip, or keeping my hair off my face, because it’s important for the audience to see my expressions and gestures."
We followed Ware and crew along from pre-performance prep to the big show last night. Click through the slides above to watch her get ready—and nab a couple of her favorite products, too.
2/10"I love a nude lip. Today, I’m wearing Sin City by CK One—it’s brilliant—but I’ve been trying to change it up lately, and post different looks on my Instagram. I usually mix the lip color with the Rave lip shine to make it glossier."
3/10"I’m mad about dewy skin. I do so many flights and I’m on the road, but still I try and look after myself. The last thing I want to do after a performance is the whole skin regimen, but it makes your skin rubbish if you don’t! I love Sisley or Darphin products, and my tour makeup artist does a great Eve Lom lymphatic massage... It might happen on the bus tonight, actually. But one of my favorite makeup tips for gorgeous skin is highlighting to just look fresh. I use the CK One Illuminator either in Cool or Warm to brighten my face, and you can do it with or without foundation. Even if I feel like rubbish, it always brightens me up."
4/10CK One color global makeup artist Kayleen McAdams prepped Jessie for sound check and her big performance. "We’re doing a smoky eye with a nude lip and a little bit of a glow. I love the eye because it’s a sort of a peachy bronze shadow in a great, Kate Moss-like cat eye diffused shape. Jessie has a great crease, so I use a fluffy brush and then just go back with a sponge to add the angle in."
5/10Hair stylist Paul Merritt relied on an unorthodox technique to get Jessie’s signature sleek pony. "Jessie has amazing hair as it is, really. We started off with a classic, smooth blowdry and then we brought it into a high pony. Then, I took a makeup brush, sprayed it with hairspray, and worked it into the head to add that super shine. It gives it a lacquered effect."
6/10Jessie—in a Calvin Klein fur coat and Céline sunglasses—waves goodbye before being whisked off to sound check. "Can I tell you a secret about these sunglasses?" she asked. "I saw Kim Kardashian wearing them at Paris Fashion Week and I had to have them."
7/10"Fashion has made me feel like an artist and enjoy myself. It’s meant to be fun... It enhances the mood I’m going for. I always have a certain silhouette since I’m usually wearing shoulder pads, and I like to keep it effortlessly chic and beautiful, like Elizabeth Taylor or Sade. But I do have one rule: no high heels on stage. I tried so hard, but I just perform better in flats. These are by Penelope Chilvers—I love them."
8/10McAdams puts the finishing touches on right before the performance.
9/10"I have to take care of myself on the road. I've gotten really into skipping rope because you can just hop off the tour bus, into the empty auditorium, and do a fifteen or twenty minute work out. There are so many temptations on the road—tortilla chips and chocolate, and you're always pecking after your gig, but I like to work out. I keep healthy with apple chips or cereal bars and lots of water and coconut water. Before I go on, I like to have Throat Coat tea that I get from Whole Foods."
10/10Jessie performs for a packed house at the Irving Plaza theatre.
"To get to where I am now, I didn't rush it. So don't rush it! Just be innocent and have fun being a young person, don't try to be an adult. It's a funny old business, but life experience is good for a performer. If you're writing and singing, perform! Just try everything."
